Closure unit for bottles or the like



Sept. 29, 1959 R. A. CONRAD CLOSURE UNIT FOR BOTTLES OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. 16', 1957 m D T A N R E N n W o M 1 c 3 T M MW.

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0 2 2 0 I 4 2 2 4 2 2 7 6 r 6 2 T fl Y 5 b/ s 2 2 7. 5 7 2 7 2 I 2 2 2 2 w 25 v f .41 x 1%? ATTORNEY United Stat Patent 10 CLOS URE UNIT FOR BOTTLES R LIKE This application relates to a closure unit for bottles or the like and is a continuation in part of my patent applications Serial No. 662,057, filed on May 28, 1957, and Serial No. 667,409, filed on June 24, 1957.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a closure unit for bottles or the like which closure may be removed therefrom without the use of a conventional opener or other tool but by forcing said closure down the bottle a short distance, whereupon the same is easily taken oflf by hand.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new elastic sealing element for said closure having a riser in the'middle thereof, which sealing element covers the top oflabottle andextends downwardly where thesame is compressed between the bottle and the metal cap thus providing a strong positive sealing to the bottle as long as the cap is on the bottle. When a metal cap is' forced down the bottle for the purpose of opening the same, said cap depresses the riser into the bottle, thus disengaging the sealing element from the bottle.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds and the novel features of the device will be particularly pointed out in the claims hereto annexed.

In this specification and the annexed drawing, the invention is illustrated in the form considered to be the best, but it is understood that in and by the claims following the description, it is desired to cover the invention in whatever form it may be embodied.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which:

Fig. 1 is a central vertical cross-section of the bottle top covered with a seal.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical cross-section through a bottle top sealed with the closure unit.

Fig. 3 is a central vertical cross-section through the seal.

Fig. 4 is a central cross-section through a bottle top and the closure unit showing the cap in its lower position and ready to be taken oif, and I Fig. 5 is a central vertical cross-section through a modified form of the cap.

My invention is used in connection with a bottle or a jar having a neck 1 formed with rounded bead 2 at its mouth 3 and a shoulder 4'below said bead. The shoulder 4 has a frusto-conical surface 6 narrowing upwardly and is separated from the bead 2 by a circular concave groove 7. The outer circumference of the head 2 is of a smaller diameter than the outer circumference of the shoulder 4. The above described arrangement of parts is standard for bottles or the like using crimped caps for its closure and sealing.

The closure unit 19, comprising the subject matter of this invention, consists of a cap 11 and a seal 12. The cap 11 is preferably made of pliable metal, though it may be made of pliable plastic. The cap 11 is cylindrical in form and has a top 14 and a wall 15, the lower portion 17 of which is preferably precrimped to facilitate crimping operation while the bottle is being sealed.

2,906,422 Patented Sept. 29, 1959 The seal 12 is preferably made of rubber or of soft resilient plastic which is impervious to the contents of the bottle. and consists of a top 19, a sidewall 20 directed downwardly and terminating with a circular bead 21 directed inwardly. The seal 12 is rounded where the wall 20 merges into the top 19 and-the curvature 22 of said merge corresponds to the outside curvature of the bottle bead 2 while the inner diameter of the seal at circular bead 21 corresponds with the outside diameter of the groove 7. The height of the wall 20 is, however, slightly less than that of the bottle bead 2 so that when the seal 12 is put on the top of the bottle, the circular bead21 rests at the very top of the groove 7 and not'in the groove as shown in Fig. 1. If, however, a slight downward tension is applied to the wall 19 of said seal 12, the' A closure unit 10 is placed on a bottle in the following manner: first, the seal-12 is put on the bottle, as shown in Fig 1. Thereuponthe cap 11 is placed on the seal 12 tobe supported'by the riser 25. An inner diameter of the cap '11 is "such that the bottle neck with the seal 12 thereon easily enters the cap but the circular bead 21 of the seal is pushed downwardly slightly into the groove 7, as shown in Fig. 2, thus placing the seal properly and tightening the same on the bottle. Thereupon the portion 17 is crimped against the groove 7 in the bottle in a manner well known in the art. The crimped portion 17 presses against the lower portion of the sidewall 20 and the circular bead 21, thus providing a mechanical bond of the cap 11 and seal 12 with the bottle which keeps the latter positively sealed.

The present seal 25 is preferably used in connection with the bottles not containing carbonated drinks.

In order to open the bottle the cap 11 is forced downwardly either by tapping it or by applying pressure thereon. When the cap 11 is forced down on the bottle, the crimped portion 17 slides downwardly on the shoulder 4, and is thereby spread outwardly, as shown in Fig. 4. The riser 25 is pushed into the neck 3 of the bottle, as shown in Fig. 4, and pulls the seal partially olf the bead 2 of the bottle so that when the cap 11 is removed, the seal 12 falls off readily.

. Fig. 5 shows a modified form of a cap 30 having a sharp pointed dent 31 in the cylindrical wall 32, which dent is located such a distance from the top 33 of the cap as to be above the seal 12 when said cap is crimped upon a bottle. When the cap 30 is pushed downwardly, as above described, the dent 31 cuts the sidewall 20 of the seal 12 longitudinally thus positively freeing said seal from the bottle.

I claim:

1. The combination with a bottle having a rounded bead at the mouth thereof and a shoulder thereunder separated from said bead by a circular groove, the outer circumference of said bead being of a smaller diameter than that of the shoulder; of a closure unit comprising a seal made of soft resilient material for closing the top of the bottle, said seal being in form of an inverted bowl, and having a top, a side wall, and a riser extending upwardly from the center of the seal; and a cap of a generally cylindrical form closed at the top and covering the top of the bottle and the seal, said cap resting on said riser, and having its lower portion crimped against the circular groove of the bottle.

The seal 12 is in form of an inverted bowl 2. The. combination with a bottle. having a rounded bead at the mouth thereof and a shoulder thereunder separated from said bead by a circular groove, the outer circumferenceof said bead being 'of a smaller diameter than that of the shoulder; of a closure unit comprising a seal made of soft resilient material having a top and a side wall closing the mouth 'of the bottle and the rounded bead, said seal-having 'a riser extending upwardly from the top of said'seal, and a cap covering the top of the bottle and the seal, said cap being of generally cylindrical form, and having a top resting on said riser and a cylindrical wall extending downwardly from said top and having its lower portion crimped against said groove, said crimped portion being arranged for spreading out-, wardly'when said cap is pushed downwardly forcing said crimped portion to ride on said shoulder for separating said cap from said bottle.

3. A closure unit for a bottle having a rounded bead atthe mouth thereof and a shoulder thereunder'separated wardly on said bottle and covering said head, said seal having a riser extending upwardly from the top thereof and integral therewith, said riser being cylindrical in shape and having its top closed; and a cylindrical cap covering the top of the bottle and the seal, said cap being closed by a top resting on the riser; said cap having the 4 lower-portion of its wall crimped against said groove, said cap being arranged on said bottle for sliding downwardly on said bottle shoulder and thereby spreading out the crimped portion of the cap side wall for taking said cap off the bottle, said cap having means on its side Wall for slitting the side wall of the seal.

4. A closure unit for a bottle having a rounded bead at the mouth thereof and a shoulder thereunder separated from said beadby a circular groove, the outer circumference of said bead being of a smaller diameter than that of the shoulder; said closure unit comprising a seal made of soft resilient material for closing the topof the bottle, said seal being in the form of an inverted bowl and having a top and a side wall, said top resting on the mouth of the bottle and said side wall extending downwardly on said bottle and covering said bead, said seal having a riser extending upwardly from the top thereof; and a cylindrical cap covering the top of the bottle and said seal, said cap being closed by a top resting on said riser and having its cylindrical side Wall extending downwardly from said top into said groove wherein the same is crimped against the bottle, said cap being arranged 'for sliding downwardly on said bottle shoulder for. spreading out the crimped portion of the cap side wall and separating said cap from said bottle.

Foell Sept. 20, 1921 Nygaard Nov. .17, 1953 

